MediEvil dépaysement
by Lil-prime9
Summary: dépaysement (n.) when someone is taken out of their own familiar world into a new one.
1. The Armored Savior

It was a cold, overcast night. There was a soothing melody emanating within an abandoned graveyard. On top of a hill overlooking the graveyard was a young woman with short brunette hair playing the violin underneath a yew tree. With one last note, she lowered the violin to her side before opening her eyes to stare off into the distance with a content smile plastered on her face.

A swift breeze pricked her skin whilst she kneels to put away her violin in its case. She stood upright, casting one final glance at the graveyard before retreating into the woods. Every step she took the dried-up leaves would emit a soft crunch from underneath her brown heeled bootie. Walking down the dense forest with confident stride until the thin fog that covered the ground had begun to thicken rapidly. There was an eerie feeling that accompanied it. She stopped, clutching the violin case close to her as she glanced around the area cautiously. Her eyes couldn't see past the fog, making it rather difficult to see who was lurking around.

The sound of a twig snapping caused her to whip her head around in the direction of the noise. She was getting an awful feeling down in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly there was movement circling around her, and she couldn't tell where it was coming from with this thick fog, however she did manage to catch a glimpse of two giant silhouettes before it disappeared back into the fog. She knew that these unwanted guests weren't exactly human.

Rumor has it that there had been sightings of shadow creatures lurking in graveyards late in the night. Those who had encountered these creatures were slaughtered on sight and only a very few were lucky enough to survive the attacks and lived to tell the tale. Lately, the attacks were becoming frequent in the dead of night and the townspeople were becoming fearful that a serial killer was on the loose. Previously attacking men before changing its target to women since they were more vulnerable than the men.

All the color was drained from her face and her heart was pounding hard against her chest. Her breath began to become shallow and was overwhelmed with sheer panic from the realization. These creatures were going to kill her. Then, there was a growl right behind her. She whipped around to see a large Komodo dragon, its body emanating a black smog-like effect and its glowing red eyes staring at her hungrily before leaping into the air to pounce on her.

She jumped out of the way in the nick of time as she scrambled back up on her feet and ran for dear life. Their thundering footsteps were slowly gaining up on her and she was running as fast as her feet could carry her, yet it wasn't enough to outrun these fast-moving creatures. She looked over her shoulder to see the two Komodo dragons chasing after her. A regrettable move on her part because at that moment her foot got caught in a stump and she fell forward. The violin case flew right out of her grasp as it landed a few feet away from her. In a panic, she desperately crawled towards the case with her hand outstretched. Her fingers grazed the handle of the case for a split second before being dragged back.

"No, no, no!" She cried out and attempted to grab on to the same stump she tripped on, but her grip easily slipped as the Komodo dragon continued to drag her with force.

She tried to escape but was forcefully held down by its mighty grip making her gasp for air. Her lungs were beginning to burn and opened her eyes where her face contorted into horror at the sight above her. The creature's mouth was wide open as it showed off its blood-stained fangs to her. Its tongue whips from side to side where the saliva drips down onto her woolen green coat. Then it let out a loud screeching roar—she screamed—it pulled back, preparing to kill her off right beneath its grasp.

However, the creature never got the chance to attack when it was suddenly tackled to the ground by a tall unknown figure. Once she was freed from its mighty hold, she scrambled to her feet in search of her violin case. She spotted the case and sprinted towards it but the case was knocked away by the creatures' tail. The young woman chased after it but her endeavors proved to be futile when it was knocked away more than once it was infuriating to say the least.

Eventually the one of the creatures' tails whipped the case into the air, kicking up a layer of dust in the process, as the case fell with a loud thud. She squinted her eyes and coughed after mistakenly inhaling the layer of dust before dashing towards the overturn case. Midway into her run across the uneven field when she was suddenly struck on her ankle by one of the creatures' tails making her fall over hard on the ground.

A groan slips through her lips as she slowly sits up only to be greeted by a wave of pain making her hiss. Her ankle was badly sprained and to avoid hurting herself further, she began to crawl until she reached the velvet violin case. Unbeknownst to her that the case was overturned and opened.

There was metal clattering across the dense forest, and she turned to look but the thick smog was impairing her sight. However, she was able to distinguish three silhouettes, although one of the silhouettes belonging to the creature was lying motionless on the ground meanwhile the other was battling fiercely.

The tall armored figure was circling the creature with a shield on his left and a fully drawn sword on his right. With one swift movement, the tall figure charged impaling its sword right into the creatures' chest. There was a gurgled whine and then it fell to the ground with a loud thud. The armored figure stood victorious.

She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the person's' back and examined the armor this person wore. Concluding that this person that saved her life was in fact a male knight. Then her armored savior turned to face her, and she instantly froze. She wasn't certain if it was because of the fog or her mind playing a sick trick on her as her "_supposed savior_" was glowering at her with his singular functioning red eye.

Not even giving it a second thought before she scrambled up to her feet and had subconsciously closed the violin case in the process and then hurriedly left the grotesque scene. While running through the forest she could've sworn she heard a muffled voice calling out to her. Yet, she disregarded the voice and kept on running, eventually losing the knight and safely getting away from the forest.


	2. Misplaced

The afternoon sunbathed the buildings in its warm lights. Kensington high street was overcrowded with people, especially at the shopping district. She and her best friend Renna were out to get some supplies in one of the department stores. It was quite common to see people out on a Saturday. However, it genuinely surprised her to see these many people out and about when the economy was literally crashing from Britain's great depression. The wealthiest people were clearly unfazed by it to say the least.

As they walked down the cramped sidewalk with their arms interlocked to not lose each other inside the massive crowd. Until they arrived at their destination at the department store which specializes in drapery. Both had taken tailoring classes in their early teens and had been creating their own clothes since it was cheaper and convenient. As they set foot inside, they were instantly giddy and began to rummage around the place for specific pieces of fabric, such as linen, dimity and voile.

With summer right around the corner, it was essential that they'd purchase these types of fabrics before they eventually sell out. Soon they paid for their supplies and then had wandered around the sidewalk and that's when they stumbled upon a small vintage shop.

"Let's go inside, Renna." She suggested which earned a wary glance from her friend.

"I'm not sure, Laura."

"Please, just this once?" She sent her a pleading look, with her lips curling down and her brows were furrowed too. It wasn't long before Renna groaned whilst rolling her eyes.

"Fine, fine. But if the manager does anything shady, I'll be leaving you behind!"

Laura celebrated her victory with a quiet 'yes' before entering the store with her unhappy friend following behind. They were greeted with a soft jingle just above the door and there was jazz music in the background. The overall atmosphere of the shop was still with a hint scent of Lavandula lingering in the air, there was no person in sight, not even the cashier.

She didn't mind the stillness of the shop, in fact, it's relieving than the loud chatter from the outside. Then Laura wanders around looking through various antiques that were on display until she reached the book section. Her green eyes scanned through the dusty books when her attention was drawn to a lone necklace in between two books. She steps closer and reaches out to grab the necklace off the shelves before holding it up to her face. It was a green crystal pendant with an antique textured gold brass chain, with a toggle clasp.

Laura held on to the necklace as she made her way towards the front desk. "Hello?"

There was no response from the back room of the store, it's as if the store itself was deserted apart from Renna and herself. Unsure of what to do at first until she heard light footsteps approaching. She perked up to see a middle-aged woman with long gray hair which was neatly combed into loose curls.

"Sorry for not coming sooner. What can I help you with?"

She then holds out the necklace to the owner. "I'd like to purchase this lovely necklace that was on display."

Once she purchased the item, Laura walks out of the shop and sees Renna leaning against the plexiglass from the store she was in. Renna glances over to her a wave of relief flashing across her brown eyes as she pushes herself off the glass.

"Took you long enough!"

Laura sent her a sheepish smile. "I still don't understand why you hate vintage stores so much. The lady didn't mistreat me."

Renna huffs and pushes back a loose strand of her auburn hair. "I don't dislike them, but I've seen some items inside the shop that are just… questionable."

She hums in thought. "Like what?"

"Items… that are used in… rituals like witchcraft…" Renna trails off, clearly uncomfortable just talking about the topic itself. Her posture tense and her eyes nervously darting around.

Laura knew of Renna's overall disdain for magic and anything that revolves around fairy tales. Renna was never like this, however. She used to enjoy hearing about folktales and the potential proof of magic existing. But something had happened when they were in their teens that changed Renna's mindset and now she heavily disapproves of it altogether.

"Are you sure? It could've simply been ingredients lying around that were used for medicinal purposes in the Middle Ages." Laura gently reassured her and was pleased with herself when Renna had begun to relax.

Renna smiles gratefully to her. "Thanks, Laura."

"What are friends for, right?"

...

Night falls, the darkened sky is dotted with countless small stars and nocturnal critters of all shapes and sizes are now active. They roam out in the open searching for food and fighting for their territory. There was soft rustling of the leaves, however there was an unusual sound that stood out, it was soft thuds of items being thrown from inside a house.

"Where is it? - I can't find it anywhere!" Laura exclaimed as she stumbled out of her walk-in closet which was in disarray.

She has been searching nonstop since her return from her outing with Renna. It was just like any other day when she would come home. Laura would head upstairs to her room and organize her purchases right on top of her bed. When she had accidentally knocked over her violin case and went to pick it up only to find out that her violin was absent inside its case. In a state of panic, she had quite literally turned her house upside down in less than an hour in search of her instrument but turned up empty-handed.

It was already half past ten and she was unsuccessful in finding the violin. Laura stomped down the stairs until she reached the living room and then threw herself on the couch. Her face was pressed up against the cream-colored square pillow where she proceeded to groan loudly in frustration. She felt utterly exhausted before carelessly removing her shoes and allowing them to fall off the edge of the couch with a light thud. With her left arm dangling off the couch and was greeted by a soft sensation grazing against her forearm. Laura lifts her head and turns to see her ragdoll cat staring directly at her with his large blue eyes.

"Hey Tiger…" She greets her feline friend with a smile and then gently rubs her index finger on the side of his cheek, to which he purred in delight.

She continued to pet him for a bit longer until she was too tired to do so and was slowly falling asleep. Then there was a light tapping sound coming from her glass door. Not thinking much of it and attempting to fall back asleep when the noise became quite persistent to gain her attention.

Laura huffed, pushing herself off the comfort of her couch and then walked over to the glass door. She unlocked it and slid the door open where the chilly breeze of the night pricked her skin with light kisses. Her tired eyes looking around her small rectangular yard, it wasn't much but she made sure to add in some appeasing plants into her garden.

There were harebell, chicory, and foxglove flowers which are about to bloom in the summer were inside used and old glass containers. Off to the side were a variety of pots for different vegetables she was growing for the summer. Around her space there was a thick layer of shrubbery and finally a singular apple tree in the middle.

She was deeply confused. What even made that noise? It was probably just a rat—

MEOOW

Laura instantly yelped and hugged the side of her door for dear life until she glanced down. The culprit was Tiger who simply stared up at her. "JESUS—Tiger, you scared me half to death!"

Then her eyes moved to see an item that Tiger was sitting right next to. It was her violin!

Her face lit up before she bent over to pick up her violin eagerly. The violin was made entirely out of iridescent glass with golden brass designs around the front of the instrument. In between the strings there was a neatly folded letter attached to it. She removed the letter and then unraveled it, reading what was written inside.

"Dear Miss,

I apologize for giving you a scare the previous night. But during the scuffle, you left behind your instrument and had left in a hurry. I attempted to follow you and return it but lost sight of where you'd gone. To my luck, I stumbled across you today and decided to follow you home and return what rightfully belonged to you. Again, I humbly apologize for following you in advance. Please tread carefully next time you decide to wander around in the late hours of the night, especially within the woods.

Sincerely,

Sir Daniel Fortesque."

Laura pulled back and scanned her yard with wide eyes for any signs of her savior but unfortunately there was none. She didn't notice this up until this point, but she could feel her saviors gaze watching her from afar. Perhaps she had misunderstood him during the attack, I mean he did save her after all.

She smiled gratefully, her green eyes still searching for him in the dark. "Thank you, Sir Daniel Fortesque."

Suddenly a gust of wind sweeps right by her sending chills down her exposed skin. She didn't want to catch a cold, so she ushered her cat inside before following suit into the warmth of her humble abode. Unbeknownst to her, Sir Daniel Fortesque had been watching her as she went inside to ensure she was safe and sound. His cheekbones were raised indicating that he was smiling before eventually taking his leave into the night.


	3. The Bandaged Man

The pavement was met by the constant clanking of her black spool heels and her labored breath was made evident as she continued to run down the streets. Laura was chasing after a young boy, who had initially accidentally bumped into her. Not realizing that the boy made a quick and sly movement with his hands and had snatched something through the pocket of her dress. She was not pleased the second he made a dash for it, however, she refused to let the boy get away with this.

While in hot pursuit of the young pick pocketer, she had bumped into all sorts of people along the way, apologizing swiftly without giving them a chance to hear their complaints to her. It wasn't long before she had caught up to him as they now stood on the overpass.

She was panting heavily, and her eyes remained fixated at the young boy. He had a smug look on his face as he extended his hand over the cement railing. In his hand he held a long golden chain and attached to it was a pocket watch that had a rose engraved on it. It was the pocket watch that he had stolen from her as he dangles it over the edge mockingly, as if he was saying: _Come any closer and I'll drop it_.

Her eyes widened at the sight, yet she held back the urge to tackle the boy and remained calm as she possibly could. She extends her hand slowly towards him, maintaining eye-contact with him and as she does this, she is slowly inching closer to him.

"Give that back to me, please." It was a risky move on her part but it's better than just knocking him off his feet. He was still a child after all, and she would feel awful if she ever laid a finger on someone so young.

Alas, her plan didn't work and watched as he ultimately let go of the golden pocket watch. However, she was fast on her feet and then lunged forward, successfully catching the watch in the nick of time. With a sigh of relief, she pushes herself off the railing and turns around, and the next thing she knew she was pushed harshly over the railing. Only catching a glimpse of the boy smirking at her before retreating.

It's as if time had slowed down while she fell. With her hands clutching the pocket watch close to her chest and her eyes were shut tight. She waited to hit the pavement below, but it never came and instead, she felt a pair of arms holding her.

Laura fluttered her eyes open and slowly raised her head, curious as to who had saved her from an unfortunate fall. The person who saved her was a man wearing a grey trench coat, a navy-blue scarf around his neck and a grey newsboy hat, however that's not what genuinely surprised her. It was the fact that the man's entire face was wrapped in bandages and he was wearing a pair of polarized sunglasses.

"Are you all right, miss?" His muffled voice asked with concern which had brought her back from her thoughts.

She slowly nods in response before he carefully lowered her legs on the ground where she held on to his gloved hand for support. Once balanced she composed herself and then smiled apologetically at him.

"I'm sorry… I-I didn't mean to stare." Stumbling with her words like a fool being already flustered from her predicament. "Thank you… for catching me."

"Well, it's not every day you get to save a lovely maiden such as yourself." His flattering remark left her entire face completely red, as well as her heart pounding hard against her chest.

Laura looks off to the side feeling utterly bashful, in a good way thought! It's not every day a stranger gets to compliment her often. She's not used to this kind of thing and she doesn't consider herself the attractive type either. Then her demeanor swiftly changed when she thought about that young thief.

"That boy - I swear the next time I see him I'll give him an earful about stealing and pushing me off the overpass!" She was beyond peeved and was silently seething from where she stood with her hands balled into fists.

"A boy pushed you off the overpass?" The man mused aloud, sounding genuinely surprised by this fact.

Laura looked back at him and even with all the wraps covering every inch of his face, she could tell that he was stunned. She was reluctant at first, unsure to tell him but she soon given in.

"Yes… that young boy stole my pocket watch, it's invaluable, so I pursued him and uh… the outcome didn't pan out as I expected it to." She sent him a sheepish smile and was stunned to see his demeanor change.

His clenched fist and unyielding posture, his overall body language said it all. The man was practically radiating anger altogether. It was beginning to scare her. As she hugged her sides to find some sort of comfort and this had caught his attention. Almost instantly all traces of his anger were nonexistent, before muttering an apology to her.

She sent him a reassuring smile before checking the time on her pocket watch. Her eyes were wider than a euro coin and with raised eyebrows while she stared down at her pocket watch in horror.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" Her sudden outburst startled the man and began to slowly walk the opposite way. "Sorry, I need to go. Thank you again for saving me! Take care!"

Before he had the chance to say anything, the young maiden was out of sight.

….

The streets were empty in the dead of twilight. A cold breeze had suddenly brushed against the lace and chiffon fabric of her dress, causing it to sway lightly with the wind. Even when her dress draped above her ankles and the many layers underneath, it was not enough to keep her from feeling light nips on her skin from the cold. Laura didn't let the chill of the night bother her as she continued to walk down the empty streets. However, this didn't change the fact that she felt utterly exhausted.

Being a Lady's maid for a wealthy family in her town is not a simple task whatsoever. She also takes the role of housekeeper since her employer, Madam Lucia Carter, had recently promoted her the position just over a month ago. Which meant she had to manage the other maids, the butlers, the cooks, etc. throughout the household. Her working schedule had doubled, and she often came home even more exhausted than before.

A soft sigh slips through her lips, with her eyes closed and allowing her shoulders to relax. Laura couldn't wait to return home and rid herself of the maid outfit before taking a long and well-deserved bath. Just fantasizing about it made her swoon.

"_Oi_! You!"

Her fantasies were abruptly interrupted by a voice trying to get her attention. So, she stopped walking and opened her eyes only to be greeted by two men in their mid-twenties standing in front of her. Both men wore the identical workwear, navy blue jumpsuit and a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The man on the right had unkempt brown hair while his friends' ebony hair was neatly kept.

Oh, and let's not forget about the alcoholic beverages they held in their hands. Both men practically reek of it as they swayed from where they stood.

"What's a fi-i-ine young lady like you wandering around the streets at this ungodly hour?" The ebony haired one slurred and then proceeded to take a large swig of his drink.

Laura wasn't even standing near them when she caught a whiff of the alcohol breath invading her nostrils. In response, she scrunched up her nose in slight disgust. The compliment he gave her didn't flatter her in the slightest, in fact, it made her want to hurl.

"So, you're a maid, huh? Why don't you come and join us?" The unkempt man offered.

"That's very thoughtful of you but I'll have to pass. You see, I need to head back home to tend to my cat." She politely declined with her hands raised just above her chest. It wasn't a lie per se, but she really didn't want to be near these two intoxicated men.

The ebony-haired man took an unsteady step forward almost eating the floor in the process. If it hadn't been for his friend who steadied him... well, he would've lost his precious pearly white teeth and eaten them with his blood.

"I'm sorry but I really must take my leave." She was about to walk around them but was unable to do so when the unkempt man suddenly spoke.

"A maid like yourself needs company. We can take you home… and have some _fun_." The way he emphasized _fun_ really unnerved her and knew damn well what he was trying to imply. She is no prostitute; it was revolting to say the least.

Her kind smile that she wore from the very start of the conversation was gone in an instant. She sent them a displeasing glare which did little affect to them, being too drunk to even care. The way their lustful eyes studied her body, fantasizing their lude actions with her. She reached down to her pocket and was ready to act when a voice had made itself known behind her.

"Sorry gentlemen, but I'm afraid that this young maiden is with me."

Laura almost jumped out of her skin and turned around to see the man that saved her life earlier that morning. He walked over to her until he stood beside her with his gloved hands shoved inside his trench coat pockets. Mind you that he's like seven feet tall compared to her petite height standing only at five foot three beside him. His tall stature was enough to intimidate the intoxicated men, mumbling under their breath before sauntering off.

She exhaled deeply in relief as her green orbs landed on to his bandaged features, although with much difficulty considering their height differences. "Thank you for shooing them away."

He looks down at her with a slight tilt in his head. "I'm happy to have helped. I...um, hope I'm not intruding by asking this out of the blue. But why is a maiden like yourself wandering in the dead of night?"

"If you must know, _this_ maiden right here," She points to herself with a smile. ", has a job and just so happens to clock out late. It's quite a handful and I'm eager to go home."

Being the gentleman, he is, offers his gloved hand to her in which she gladly accepts. They peacefully walked down the sidewalk with their arms linked until arriving at her humble abode. She stood up the steps which lead to her mahogany door and then turned to face the man with a grateful expression.

"Thank you for accompanying me. Honestly, I can't thank you enough for what you did. Is there anything you'd like as compensation?"

"Hmm... and if I refuse?" He asked humorlessly and watched in amusement as she folded her arms and then sent him a playful glare.

"Even if you refuse, I'm still going to repay you for all the trouble that I've caused."

"Are you sure? I believe that the trouble seems to be attracted to you after all."

There was a hint of jest laced in his muffled voice to which she responded by punching him in the arm. This had completely caught him off guard and he couldn't help but get a good chuckle out of it. Since there was no real force into the punch itself and he knew that she did so with good intentions.

"Say," She mused, earning his attention. "I never got the chance to ask for your name."

He straightens his posture with one arm tucked behind him and the other rested against his chest. "Daniel is the name, and what yours might be my young maiden?"

She stifled out an amusing chuckle, feeling her cheeks burn up from his performance. "Laura. Laura fleur-de-lis, it's a pleasure to finally be acquainted with you Daniel."


	4. Karma at its Finest

"You didn't have to come with me Dan. I'm sure you have other things to do rather than getting groceries with me." Laura looks over her shoulder at Dan, who was following close behind as he tilts his head down at her.

"It would be rude of me to not lend a hand. Besides, your needs are much more relevant than my own." Dan remarked as she looked away, unbeknownst to him that she was purposely hiding her reddened cheeks from him.

"You're too much." She says and could faintly hear Daniel chuckling to himself.

Laura entered through the large doors of the supermarket and then grabbed a basket that was right by the entrance before wandering down the aisles. Slowly filling up the basket with ingredients that she needed to restock on whilst Daniel curiously looks over her shoulder. As she goes to grab an item from the shelf is when Dan suddenly blurts out.

"Why do you need baking powder?"

Her head perks up and looks over at Dan with a smile. "I use it to make bread of course!"

"You can bake?" Dan expressed his surprise through the tone of his voice, it was hard to tell his expression through his gauzes and tinted glasses, but she caught on quickly from his tone.

Laura hums happily before placing the box of baking powder inside the basket. "Been baking with my mom for as long as I can remember, it's a fun hobby which is almost therapeutic in a way."

Next, they arrived at the produce section where Laura proceeded to take out her flip note and began to place the various vegetables that were on the list. At one point she handed over the basket to Daniel as she wandered off into the meat section.

The sudden change in temperature from the cold in the meat section caused her to shiver. It didn't help that she wore a thin summer dress which was not designed for the cold whatsoever. Yet she wouldn't let a measly cold stop her as she glances towards the packaged meat on display. Laura isn't much of a meat eater but there were some occasions where she'd eat some fish which is what she's looking for. She scanned through the display before reaching out to grab a bag of frozen salmon but stopped when she glanced over to her left. There stood the same boy who had stolen her pocket watch and pushed her off the overpass months prior.

However, by a stroke of luck the brunette boy didn't seem to recognize her and instead was looking off into the distance. He stood right beside who Laura presumed was his mother that was staring at the various selection of meat before her. Then an idea popped into her mind in which she grinned to herself and dissimulated closer to the unsuspecting woman where she proceeded to strike up a conversation with her about the benefits of certain meats. During their small talk Laura had glanced over to see the boy sneakily walking away from his mother after he spotted a lone shopping cart with a purse inside.

Laura waited until he was near the shopping cart until she drastically changed her demeanor and was sending the woman a concerned gaze. "Excuse me, but the boy that was right next to you... is it your son?"

The mere mention of her child sent the woman into a panic as she frantically looked around for her son. That was until she spotted him with his arm inside the lone purse. Never had she seen a person instantly turn red in horror and from pure fury at the sight of her son attempting to steal, luckily, she shouted out his name before he could take anything from inside the purse.

"KALEB!"

He visibly flinched at the sound of his mother's angry tone and immediately pulled his hand out of the purse. A few customers were present to witness the scene before them and watched with a disheartening gaze at the boy's actions. Whilst his mother was scolding him profusely is when he finally noticed Laura standing there with a smile directed towards him, however, her smile had no warmth in them. Instead it held a mischievous glint to them. The look of horror that morphed on his face was priceless before he was being dragged away by his mother.

Laura was successfully victorious in exposing the young thief and in front of the many witnesses and in front of his mother! That'll teach him to think twice before trying to steal from people. That and because she wanted to show him the consequences after purposely pushing her off the overpass.

"Laura, is everything alright?"

She looked over her shoulder to see Dan approaching her until he stood beside her. For an average person it seemed impossible to read his emotions through all the bandages covering his features. However, Laura could easily tell that he was worried.

"Yup! All is swell." She reassured him with a broad smile to which he hummed in relief.

"Have you found what you've been looking for?" He asked as Laura gave him a nod where she then reached over to grab a frozen salmon sealed inside a bag before placing it inside the basket.

"Now I have." She confirmed cheerfully before walking alongside Dan who was completely unaware of the commotion that occurred.


	5. Gelid

Laura could not help but shiver involuntarily at the sounds of wind howling right outside her backyard door. Snow can be seen falling from the skies in copious amounts which had now covered the grass in three inches of snow on the earth. She was lucky that she saved her plants from their chilly demise in time.

It had been snowing for the past two weeks and in the middle of August. This came to a surprise to not only herself but to everyone else in her town. In fact, the weather had gotten so bad that all stores and the roads were closed off due to the endless snowfall. No one could leave their homes because of the four inches of snow that now covered the roads as well as the sidewalks and was slowly worsening as the days went by.

She sighs, sinking herself further into the couch. Raising the still warm tea up to lips and taking a few sips to not accidentally burn her mouth. The fireplace to her left cackled gently every so often, a pleasant warmth lingering in the medium sized living room. She was all bundled up inside the heavy wool blankets, and sleeping beside her was Tiger, curled up into a ball to keep himself warm on top of the wool blanket.

The harsh winds pelted against the glass door did not seem to faze her. She found herself staring at the ceiling where her mind began to wander. It has been three months since she'd last seen Daniel, and she is beginning to realize how much she longs for his presence. No matter how hard she tried not to, the image of him would eventually sneak its way into her mind.

Who would have thought she would miss him this much?

She lets out a soft whine and moves her head to glance over beside her only to realize that Tiger was no longer there. Then her ears picked up the sounds of his meows from outside of the room and was scratching at something. Laura rose from the couch, leaving behind the warmth and comfort of the blankets in search for her feline friend. To her surprise, Tiger was standing right by the front door, at this point he was practically howling to be let out as he continued to scratch at the door.

"What has gotten into you?"

Instantly, Tiger perked up at the sound of her voice, the pitch in his meow changing to a chirp as he walked up to her. He purposely bonked her leg with his head before directing his attention towards the entrance, his meowing becoming more distressed and his tail swishing impatiently.

Laura stares at the entrance with her head slightly cocked to the side. Curious to know what her friend was wailing about; she approached the door and investigated the small peephole. Unsurprisingly, there was no one on the other side, just the endless snowfall that covered the entirety of her steps.

"There's nothing outside, Tiger."

As she looked over, Tiger had sat down and was staring directly at her with dilated eyes. It was apparent that her friend eagerly wanted her to open the door. After giving it much thought she gave in to her cat's odd request, twisting the silver lever handle of her door and then swung it open.

She was immediately met with the sudden rush of frigid air that had left harsh kisses across her cheeks. If she had not been wearing her long, warm nightgown then she would have certainly been shivering uncontrollably from where she stood. Once again, there was nothing outside other than a thick layer of snow on her steps, which she made a mental note to shovel it when the snowfall lessened. Before she had the chance to even close the door, Tiger had run out.

"Wha- Tiger?! What are you-"

She abruptly cut herself off and was taken by surprise when Tiger began to dig at the snow by the steps. An all too familiar hat had emerged from the layer of snow and the person was finally able to lift their head, albeit weakly.

"Oh my god... Daniel!"

Laura went over to his side and thus began to dig him out of the heavy snow. Once freed, she helped him stand up on his feet with his arm draped over her shoulders and then guided him inside her home with Tiger eagerly following behind.

As soon as she placed Daniel on the couch and threw him the warm wool blanket, she had been using earlier before she went to fetch for more blankets. She came back with a handful of them and threw them on top of his still shivering form, dismissing the sounds of what she thought were his bone rattling for teeth rattling. In the middle of her adjusting the layers of the many blankets she was slowly wrapping around his body, she failed to notice Daniel's gaze as she did so. He was so enthralled by her handy work that he flinched when she removed his hat and pressed her hands against his head.

"You're still freezing!" She exclaimed; worry laced in her soft-spoken voice.

Just as she was pulling away Daniel instinctively grabbed a hold of her hand to stop her. Laura whipped her head and was staring at him with a surprised wide-eyed expression. Daniel struggled to speak, his teeth chattering made it extremely difficult for him, however, he managed to stutter out a single word.

"_St-a-ay._"

Laura's ivory cheeks instantly flushed along with her heart swelling in delight. Her gaze softened and she happily complied to his request. She sat right beside him, joining him under the covers where she got herself comfortable. Sharing each other's warmth from the harsh freezing weather that was howling outside and with the help of the blankets Daniel's uncontrollable shivering had eventually toned down into only minor shivers every so often.

The soft cackling of the fireplace with the occasional wind hitting the glass door were the only sounds that resonated in the room. By now, a good amount of time had passed, and Daniel's shivering had stopped altogether and was currently relishing the sweet warmth that was spreading throughout his body.

He was silently admiring the decor within the room; everything was laid out neatly in their respected area which completed nicely with the deep green wallpaper. Atop the fireplace there are a wide assortment of Knick knacks, which were small wooden figurines of critters and an incense that was currently burning in the very center. Daniel can faintly distinguish the scent from where he sat, it was blueberry scented. There was an oval sized mirror above all the Knick knacks and on either side were dried out plants. They are either for decorative purposes or was it to ward off evil entities?

'_Mostly decorative,_' He concluded.

Daniel averted his gaze towards Laura who was fast asleep, resting her head against his arm. He took notice of the loose strands of her brunette hair poking out in various places, and then his gaze moved to stare at her features. The pink undertones in her skin stood out the most in her cheekbones, in the tip of her nose and her chin. He can faintly hear her snoring, whereas he felt her body rise and fall. He genuinely forgot how stunning she is after not seeing her in over three months, it pained him at the fact that he left so abruptly. It was never his intentions in the first place and yet...

Suddenly there was movement, which caught off his thoughts and watched as Laura began to rouse herself from her siesta.

Her eyes fluttered open, being too groggy to tell that she was all snuggled up on Daniel. It took her a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep on him, her cheeks instantly turning red.

"I'm so sorry, Dan. I didn't mean to uh... sleep on you." She stuttered out, her eyes darting elsewhere to avoid his gaze.

Daniel chuckled, "You shouldn't apologize. Besides, having you next to me helped in warming me up more than what I had originally anticipated."

Laura glances over, sending him a sheepish smile. "Really? Well... I'm glad it worked out."

Afterwards, Laura left the room to brew up some tea for them. She came back with the piping hot tea in hand and gave Daniel his cup before sitting beside him again. As they drank their tea in silence, well, mostly Laura was the only one drinking, when she decided to say what was on her mind.

"You really had me worried when you simply disappeared unexpectedly. I know you had your reasonings behind it but," She turns to look at him, a sad smile now plastered across her face. "You could've at least warned me beforehand or sent me a letter... I thought something terrible happened to you."

She murmured the last bit of her sentence, but Daniel heard it clear as day and that did not stop the guilt from gnawing at his insides.

"I'm sorry... truly I am. I should have told you sooner but I... I was afraid." He admitted where he lowered his head in shame.

"Afraid? Of what exactly?" She asked.

Daniel, with much hesitation, proceeds to explain briefly. "I've been... struggling to find a place to live."

"You've been homeless?!" Laura could not believe it, her friend, Daniel has been homeless for three months or longer. His sudden absence made sense now.

"Yes... I didn't want you to worry about me."

"You dummy... of course I'd be worried about you!" Her sudden outburst caused Dan to flinch and was now staring at her in shock.

He as Laura stood up from the couch, placing the now empty cup of tea on the small, rustic wooden coffee table which was in front of them. She was now facing him where she extended her hands to rest them on his shoulders, with her face inches away from his and maintained eye-contact.

"I have every right to worry because you're my friend, Daniel. I care about you and your well-being. No matter what you're going through you are always welcomed into my home which also means that my home is your too." Laura proudly stated, eyes glistening with such tenderness for him which was accompanied by a smile.

Daniel was speechless and was unable to find the correct words to articulate how much her words really meant to him. He had not felt so valued since... since his previous partner to which his mood instantly became somber.

"Laura, I... I wouldn't want to be a burden on you––" He wasn't allowed to finish with his sentence when Laura had swiftly intervened his train of thought.

"You're never a burden, Dan. You have done so much for me; it is time that I gave back. Consider it a proper repayment for saving me that day at the overpass." She gave him a cheeky wink.

Dan could not blush through his bandages; however, he did radiate heat which was making him sweat underneath. To top it off he still had the many layers of blankets over him––he was melting to say the least. She was going to be the death of him, in a manner of speaking.


End file.
